Relapse
by tonyangst
Summary: This is a post Kill Ari 2 follow up. Tony couldn't have recovered so completely in such a short period of time considering all the stress he was under with the death of Kate and almost getting blown up.Your comments are appreciated.


**Title: Relapse**

**Disclaimer: The characters and basically everything else belongs to the wonderful people of NCIS/CBS Productions.**

**I always felt that Tony came back a little bit too soon from having the plague. This is what I feel happened after the credits rolled.**

They walked by Kate's casket, each one lost in their own thoughts. Tony paused as he looked down at his partner's last resting place, tears stained his face, it was the saddest moment he had known as an agent. His thoughts were of happier times though, as he stared down at her casket. He focused on memories of her laughing, of Kate giving him one of her infamous comebacks, and her beautiful smile

He wiped the unshed tears from his eyes and gathered himself to move forward, there were others still behind him who also wanted to pay their last respects to Kate. He continued in the direction of the family so that he could shake hands with her three brothers, her sister, her mother, father and a cousin, whom he remembered Kate talking about, _Maureen Ingalls_. The pain on their faces was visible, but yet they greeted him and thanked him for coming. This was a difficult moment, an agonizing moment for him, _for the team_. Tony knew he had to be strong, like these family members standing before him, he had to be there for his teammates, _Gibbs' team, or what was left of it_.

They walked off together towards the parking lot. Abby was playing some Jazz tune that sounded familiar, it made him smile. He spotted the limo which had driven them to the funeral, it was time to leave. Evidently Gibbs had taken a cab from the airport, he had been detained due to having to write up details regarding the death of Ari in his basement, _Gibbs had killed the son of a bitch_.

Gibbs joined them inside the stretch limo, the lack of conversation only provided a quiet ride back to the private plane of the Sec Nav. It was a long drive back to the airport.

They entered the small comfortable plane with all its high tech gadgets, and they each took a seat. Gibbs walked past his team to the back of the plane, Jenny followed, each one taking a lounge chair. The stewardess closed the compartment between them and the others. Gibbs had to inform Jenny of the details regarding what had happened, it was not going to be easy for either of them.

A very quiet Tony took a seat beside the window. He laid his coat in the seat beside him, a clue to the others that he wanted,_ needed,_ to be alone. Tim and Abby took a seat towards the front of the plane. They would comfort each other in his time of grief, it's what they needed to do for each other.

Ducky took a seat behind them, he too would be getting a moment to finally gather his thoughts. He had done the autopsy on Kate, he had watched the others suffer as much as he was suffering, it had taken a toll on his body, he needed a nap, _a rest would do him well_. He took off his glasses and folded them, placing them into his jacket pocket that now lay across the seat beside him, then closed his eyes.

The stewardess walked to the front of the plane, she would save the speech she usually made for the passengers. She had given it on the flight to Indiana, and knowing that the people aboard had just buried a dear friend, their team member, she would respect their time of grief. The curtains were closed to give them their privacy.

Tony sat silently starring out the window at the tarmac. The people below were doing their jobs, they seemed to not have a care in the world. The sun was starting to set and the plane started to move towards the runway. He watched as men loaded baggage into other planes and then those planes pulled out to taxi on the runway behind his plane. Life was going on without Kate, it wasn't fair.

He thought about all he had suffered in the past month, the bout with the pneumonic plague, the double pneumonia, the pain of recovery in a lonely apartment. Those events didn't compare to the pain he was feeling now though. Kate was gone, his partner and friend.

He rubbed at his eyes, finally allowing himself to notice a pounding that had been rather quiet all day which suddenly wanted to make itself known. He would ask Ducky for some aspirin but that would raise alerts and he would be getting a serious physical exam, _on the plane_. Instead, he decided to close his eyes and sleep, that would make his head feel better. The pain was probably due to stress and fatigue, he was still having problems with insomnia even on a good day. It had actually been days since he had gotten a good night's sleep and he felt that was the cause for the steady beat of drums in his head.

He laid his head against the glass window, it felt cool against his skin, it felt good, _comforting_. He closed his eyes and tried to think of positive things, moments that he would never forget, the silhouette of Kate in that shower, her body moving to the music. He picked up his jacket and pulled it up close to his neck, _when had it gotten so cold_, he thought to himself as he closed his eyes.

**One hour after take off from Indiana**

"Do you think we should wake Tony and tell him that the plane is being diverted to Virginia due to bad weather McGee?" she looked back to see Tony's head buried into the seat against the window. His jacket had been pulled up over him, covering his face.

Tim had been fully aware of Tony's dark features, his sunken eyes and his weight loss since his friend's return, He had came close to being blown up the day of his return and today he watched as they buried his partner. The culmination of all these events was enough for any man, and maybe more for Tony, since he had came so close to dying of the plague only weeks before. "No, he really needs the rest Abs. We can tell him when he awakens."

She nodded in agreement. Ducky was softly snoring behind them, she had to grin at the elderly man's ability to sleep during a flight on a plane. She would never be able to fall to sleep on a plane, it was just too scary. Abby leaned back into her seat, her hand still in Tim's hand, holding on for comfort. The plane was eerily quiet, it was like being at a mortuary.

The quiet atmosphere inside of the plane ended abruptly when a very upset Tony let out a cry, a very loud cry for his friend Kate. His face was covered with perspiration and his clothes were soaked in cold sweat. He was starring forward with glassy eyes and seemed to be in a state of confusion.

Ducky was immediately awakened by the guttural cry, He quickly grabbed his glasses from his jacket pocket, undid his seatbelt and was at Tony's side in seconds, with Tim and Abby beside him.

" What is wrong Anthony?" the doctor asked worriedly, but no response was forthcoming. He then laid his hand on Tony's forehead and felt how warm his friend was: he was actually too damned warm. He turned to Tim, "I need my bag." he calmly spoke, wanting to check on Tony's health status, random thoughts of relapse running through his mind.

" Oh my god ! Kate!" he yelled again, but he wasn't with them, he was back on the roof, watching his friend die, _again_. His hand edged towards his face, blood spatter from Kate's wound had to be wiped away. His hand remained on his face, attempting to scrub away the blood that had been wiped away days before.

"Calm down dear boy, I need to check your temperature." he opened the bag that now sat in the seat in front of him and pulled out a thermometer,

Tony was still lost in a world of high fever and he batted the instrument away, "Where's Gibbs?" he asked, pushing away any ministrations from the others. "I need to tell Gibbs that Kate's dead. Her head exploded, there's blood everywhere" his voice was low and filled with a pain, "It was my fault, I should have pushed her out of the way. She had already taken a bullet. It was my turn,_ my bullet_." he was speaking to himself, but the others were caught up in his pain, their motions stopped, they just looked at him with great compassion.

"I'll be damned if you take any of the blame DiNozzo! Ari was a evil son of a bitch and he killed Kate to make us all suffer and you need to get that in that thick skull of yours!" a gruff voice behind him finally pulled him out of the febrile haze. He walked behind his agent and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Let Ducky check you out." his voice now more gentle and calming.

"Boss, I'm sorry. It was my turn, not Kate's." Tony shook his head and looked down at the floor of the plane, seeing something that nobody else could see.

" You have nothing to be sorry for Tony, let Ducky check you out." he was worried about his agent, he didn't want him taking on the guilt of his partner's death, it wasn't his fault.

"You're being nice again boss." he paused for a second then resumed his thought, "I must be dying, again." he gave them a fevered grin, his green eyes glowing with fever.

Each one of them cringed at the thought. Abby shrank into Tim's arms, she was scared for Tony.

"Here Anthony, let me put this in your ear." Ducky gently placed the aural thermometer into his ear, the digital numbers went by fast until the sound alarmed that it was finished. "One hundred four point one. "Anthony, you have a very high fever." The look on Ducky's face said it all, Tony needed a trip back to the hospital.

Gibbs rounded Tony's seat and stared down at his young agent,"Tony, does anything hurt?" wanting to get a clue to as what was causing the fever, hoping that it wasn't his lungs again.

"No." he seemed to be giving the question some thought," Nothing hurts." his answer was simple but he was still not with them completely, his fever was too high for him to be able to concentrate completely.

Ducky opened a bottle and withdrew two pills, then reached over to take the water that the stewardess had suddenly appeared with and handed them to Tony, "I need you to take these Anthony, it will help with your fever."

"Boss?" he seemed to be asking Gibbs if that is what he should do, unsure at the moment of what exactly was going on.

"It's okay Tony, take them." he assisted Tony's shaking hands with holding the water bottle as he took one pill at a time.

Ducky had pulled out his stethoscope and had placed it posteriorly to his chest to check lung sounds, looking for the source of the fever. "Take a deep breath for me Anthony." Ducky directed, but Tony seemed unable able to focus or cooperate, he seemed to be looking only at Gibbs, his eyes begging for forgiveness.

"Tony, you need to do what Ducky is instructing you to do. Can you do that for him?" Gibbs voice had taken a fatherly tone and Tony responded by taking a deep breath which only caused him to cough a deep ragged, wet cough.

" It's okay Tony." Ducky soothed, seeing the fear appear on his charge's face. Tony knew, he didn't have to be told, even in his fevered state, he knew, his lungs were already starting to burn, and that was indicative of pneumonia.

Abby was worried for her friend, she gripped Tim's hand and held on tightly. They had just went through this and now they would have to revisit Tony's respiratory problems again, _so soon_. The memories of him suffering were too fresh.

Tim was also concerned for his friend, Tony really didn't need to be sick again, it was too soon after his near death with the plague. He wasn't strong enough to deal with being sick again.

Tony seemed to be alert but his fevered eyes were seeing things that the others couldn't see, "Kate, I'm sorry about making you look like a school girl. I was being a jerk." he spoke it to the woman nobody could see. A smile spreading across her face.

"They're going to think you're crazy DiNozzo. You had better be careful." Kate replied.

Tony grinned a huge grin, she was beautiful, how could she be dead? "Kate, I'm not crazy, I just have a fever." he whispered, as if that would stop the others from hearing his fevered rant.

The crowd of people were taking in Tony's fevered talk and knew that they too had spoken to Kate, but their conversation with the dead had not been due to fevered hallucinations.

Ducky felt prompted to move forward in Tony's care, he knew that the young man was having a relapse, he just didn't know how bad it would get, "I'm pretty sure his oxygen level must be low. He will need Oxygen by nasal cannula and I will need to start an IV. Jethro, if you could contact Anthony's doctor I would appreciate it. I will speak to him once we have him on the line." Ducky started to prepare the supplies that he would need for Tony. Abby was finding enough strength to assist in finding the necessary equipment.

Gibbs stayed within Tony's eyesight, wanting to give his agent comfort that he wouldn't leave him as he took out the cellphone and dialed Dr Pitt's number.

"Okay Anthony, I need you to focus for a minute. I need to take your blood pressure." Ducky instructed, as he placed the blood pressure cuff on Tony's arm and pumped up the cuff, the pressure was elevated but it was more than likely due to Tony's elevated fever and coughing spells.

" My head hurts." he whined as Ducky took the blood pressure cuff from his arm. Abby continued assisting the best she could given Tony's state of confusion.

"I know Anthony, it's the fever." he attempted to keep him in the loop, wanting him to know what he was experiencing but knowing how Tony hated needles. He would only tell him what he was going to do when he was ready to do it..

"We need to get in the back to the lounge chairs so we can lay him down." Ducky instructed the others, who were more than ready to assist.

"I want to stay here with Kate." he moaned, not wanting to leave his friend.

"Listen Tony, we need to get you comfortable. Kate understands." Tim attempted to console his friend, wanting to help Tony, a man whom he had taken to like a brother.

"Okay." he complied, feeling as if Timmy would not lie to him, his tone almost childlike.

Gibbs continued to watch his agent a short distance away as they took Tony to the back of the plane. He followed close behind, carrying the cellphone, waiting on hold until they could get Dr Pitt on the line.

They practically carried him to his seat, lowering it and laying him down. Jenny was watching the interactions, not really knowing what had occurred before she had arrived but knowing that it could not have been good.

"Boss?" Tony yelled, he felt panicked when Ducky took his arm and started wiping it down with a wet swab. Abby was now holding it firmly in place, tears welling up in her eyes, she hated to see Tony suffer. Tony recognized the agonizing stick of the needle and jerked away. "Gibbs!" he yelled even louder.

Gibbs knew that Tony needed to be compliant, that he needed the oxygen, and he needed the intravenous fluid. He had to cut through the fog that now was in control of Dinozzo's brain, "DiNozzo, you need to allow Ducky to do his job!" his voice was firm and no-nonsense.

"Yes sir. Gotcha boss." he attempted to relax as the needle pierced his skin but he was not in control and he attempted to pull his arm away again. "Oww." he moaned , a look of terror on his face.

"He's fighting us Jethro." Ducky looked up to his friend for assistance.

Gibbs didn't hesitate, he handed the phone to Tim and took Abby's place. "Tony, I'm going to help Ducky get your IV started. I need you to help too." his voice again held that fatherly tone.

"What do you want me to do Boss?" he asked, attempting to give them something, really wanting to help but he was scared, he really didn't want to suffer again.

"I'm going to hold your arm and you have to allow the stick of the needle." Gibbs had a firm grip as he watched Ducky slide the angiocath into Tony's vein. The fluid was started immediately, Ducky adjusted the fluid to run fast, to help with the dehydration that had already started due to the sweating and the elevated fever.

"You did good Tony." Gibbs comforted the sick man, stroking Tony's head, his hair wet and sticky due to a combination of fear and fever. He continued to watch as Ducky started to draw blood from his opposite arm.

"Where do you find those things on a plane?" Tony asked, referring to the needles. He seemed to be a little bit more alert, he recognized where he was ,at least. His fevered eyes following Ducky's every move.

"You would be surprised at what I can find on a plane like this Anthony. This plane is almost as well equipped as Air Force One." Ducky informed as he placed another needle into Tony's brachial area, hitting a vein then proceeded to withdraw enough blood to fill several vials. He then handed the vials to Abbey. He then placed the nasal cannula underneath Tony's nose.

"I hate needles." Tony spoke it softly but loud enough for the others to hear him. Tony then let out a hacking and exhausting string of deep, gut wrenching coughs. When it was done, he closed his eyes and slept a restless sleep.

Gibbs looked worried as Tim handed him the phone, Dr Pitt was on the other end. "This is Agent Gibbs. Tony's sick again." he stood and walked to the front of the plane, Ducky following close behind.

**30 minutes later**

"The captain is landing us at Norfolk Naval base in about forty-five minutes." Tim informed his boss, wanting him to be informed, knowing that Tony needed to get to a hospital.

Gibbs nodded an understanding, then he found his way back to where Tony was now sleeping.

"Ducky, what did Dr Pitt have to say about Tony?" he asked, knowing that there could be another quarantine, the word plague seemed to terrify people, even if it did have a suicide chain.

Ducky was busy still gathering what he needed to treat the ill man in the lounge chair. He looked up to answer his friend, "Hasmat will meet us at the base, we will have to be quarantined until Tony's blood cultures come back and of course we too will need to be tested." he explained as he found what he was searching for in the medical area.

Gibbs interest peaked as he stared at the vial that Ducky was pulling medicine from, a thick white liquid was being pulled into a syringe. "What's that?" he asked, hoping it was something that could assist their friend.

"Penicillin." he looked up to see that Gibbs was watching his actions. "An antibiotic for Tony. We have to assume it is bacterial until proven otherwise. He was not well when he came back to work Jethro. He was almost blown up just days ago and I should have sent him home." he admonished his own actions for allowing Tony to stay and work.

A wave of guilt washed over Gibbs, he had been so hell bent on killing Ari that he didn't even take Tony's health into consideration. "You're not the only one Ducky." he spoke it low, full of guilt for what Tony was suffering.

Ducky finished pulling up the two syringes of medication and started to walk over to where Tony lay on the lounge chair. "I do believe I will need your assistance." He knew Tony would put up a fight when he told him they were injections.

Gibbs followed and a wide Tony greeted them. He looked up, overhearing the previous conversation of the two men," What? I have the plague again?" he asked with a sarcastic tone to his voice.

"We didn't say that Tony." Gibbs was quick to reply, not wanting Tony to worry about having the plague again.

"I heard the conversation Gibbs. I heard that I have to be quarantined again, with all the needles and all the crap again." he attempted to sit up but strong hands met his chest and Gibbs was in his face.

"I said that you don't have the plague Tony. It's how they do things and you know that, don't make me have to explain that again. The bug died, it had a suicide chain,_ it is dead_." the boss tone was definitely back.

"Yes Boss but I don't have to like the blue lights and needles. I hate needles." he whined as Ducky made known his presence and the two syringes he carried. "What's that?" he asked as he looked at the medical examiner.

"Dr Pitt wants you to get a large dose of antibiotic in your system. He feels it is the pneumonia trying to rear its ugly head again, so he wants to get you started on heavy antibiotics." he explained as he reached over and grabbed an alcohol pad.

"In my IV, right?" Tony felt that the man was not telling him everything.

"No, Tony. I will need to give you two injections into your hips. It is very thick medication and it will hurt but not for long." he gave Tony a small sympathetic grin and proceeded to tug at the sweat pants that Abby and McGee had found for him earlier when he had broken his fever and soaked his clothing with fevered sweat even more than it was before he took the aspirin.

Tony laughed and sat up a little, " I don't think so Ducky. I think I will wait for the IV stuff, I'm feeling a whole lot better now."

" DiNozzo, let Ducky give you the medication." it was an order and Tony followed orders.

Tony shook his head and Gibbs was surprised, shocked that Tony was being so defiant.

"It's not a request Tony." he placed a firm hand on Tony's shoulder to stop his movement any further. "You're sick. The fever is temporarily down but that doesn't mean you are better so take the damn medication DiNozzo.!"

Ducky continued to tug at the gray sweat pants and quickly jabbed the syringe into Tony's hip after a quick swab."This is thick so try to relax Tony." he instructed as he pushed in the medication.

Tony took a firm grip to the chair arm and gritted his teeth, the pain was horrible but he would not break down, not in front of his boss.

"Very good Tony." Ducky soothed as he disposed of the syringe and placed a bandage.

"That hurt Ducky." he attempted to laugh but it hurt too much and he knew he was going for shot number two. Ducky was already tugging down his pants on the other side and he just gritted his teeth again and took the sharp jab of the needle and the thick liquid that was being pushed into the muscle.

"There you go. It's over with Tony. You might feel a little sleepy, but that's just the medication." he reached over and pulled up the white cotton blanket the stewardess had brought for him and turned off the overhead light. Tony's eyes were already getting heavy.

Within minutes they watched as Tony relaxed. His often too fidgety hands calmed, his breathing evened out, and he slipped into a deep sleep.

"What did you give him Duck?" he knew that Ducky had to have given him a sedative.

"Just a little bit of Valium. Dr Pitt said that if Tony gets too anxious it could send him into an asthma like attack. It happened quiet a few times in the hospital. He wanted Tony to sleep through much of the initial testing as possible." he walked back over to the sink and washed his hands.

Gibbs nodded, he remembered all too well how Tony suffered in the hospital. He spent many nights there with his agent, the only visitor other than his team. Tony's father had never showed in all of those days.

The overhead speaker came on, it was time for the plane to land. Gibbs tightened the belt around Tony's waist and took the opposite seat, Ducky took the other.

**Norfolk Virgina**

**Naval base**

As soon as the plane landed they were inundated with yellow suits aboard the plane. They all knew the drill. Each had to take a shower. their clothing destroyed and blood work had to be done. Tony was placed in what looked like a glass container and taken away quickly.

They were quickly led through a make shift tunnel to an isolation area and led into a large room.

"Where did you take Tony?" Gibbs asked the man who was now taking his blood.

"Mr DiNozzo has been taken to an isolation area. They will give him excellent treatment I assure you Mr Gibbs." the suited man took the blood he had just collected, placed it inside a vacuum sealed box and walked towards the door.

Ducky and the others were also treated inside the room, a room that looked more like a barracks than a hospital, but it was a military base.

"This is so cool!" Abby spoke as she called _dibbs_ on the top bunk.

Tim just walked over and took the bunk underneath hers. She was anxious, and was more than her usual bubbly self. Tim recognized a worried Abby.

Gibbs glanced at his watch, it had been over an hour since they took Tony away, and he had questions for his doctor, and he wanted answers.

A nurse entered the area, masked and gowned. " I need to speak to Dr Mallard."

Ducky stood and pushed back the stool he had been perched upon since his arrival, worried about Tony's condition, "That would be me." he answered and followed the nurse to the other side of the room and out the exit. Gibbs started to follow but was stopped by the nurse's hand motion, this was for Ducky only.

He waited patiently for Ducky to return, to get information on his lead agent, a man who had been through hell over the past few weeks. His mind raced at the possibilities. The one thing that he could not help but to worry about was Tony having pneumonia again.

It was difficult for him to watch Tony struggle for breaths and to see them almost beat his back until it was bruised to assist in getting the thick phlegm out. He would just lay back afterwards and slept between spells and when they became closer and more intense, he fought, _he had a promise to keep, an order that he could not die_. He had been given his senior agent that order and he knew like the loyal agent Tony was, he would obey.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" a quiet voice interrupted his thoughts.

It was Abby, with very sad eyes, staring up into his deep blues, wanting to know if her/their friend was going to be fine. He didn't have the answer, all he could do was take her into his arms and hug her, and that is what he did, placing small kisses to her head. Words didn't come, they just stood there together, both lost in a world of pain.

**Two hours later**

The door opened and in walked Ducky, he looked tired and worn.

"How is he Duck?" Gibbs asked before he could even close the door behind him, Tim,Jenny and Abby standing at the center of the room, also interested in what the man had to report on their friend.

"He 's doing better. The x-ray showed that he does have some consolidation in his right lower lung. I do wonder if he ever really healed completely from his bout with double pneumonia. His fever has improved though, but he will need to stay in the hospital for at least a few days. He will feel worse before he feels better I'm afraid." the man went back to the stool he had been sitting on earlier, ready for the onslaught of questions he knew would be asked.

"He's going to stay here?" Gibbs questioned, knowing that he really needed a doctor who was aware of his history, he needed Dr Pitt. Ducky was tired and he did not want the older man to get ill himself attempting to fill in for the pulmonary doctor,

" No, actually after the blood cultures confirm that he is free of the Y-Pestis and if Tony has a good night, then we will be free to travel back to Bethesda tomorrow morning, including Tony with his Medical staff." he answered, taking in the expressions of the others. The medical doctors were concerned but they seemed to agree with Dr Pitt that he would do better at Bethesda given his recent bout with double pneumonia and the pneumonic plague.

"Dr Pitt feels that would be okay?" Gibbs wanted all the information regarding Tony's health, he was the one listed as Tony's next of kin.

"He wants him at Bethesda as much as we want him there. But again I must stress he can only go with us if he has a good night. He is very ill, his fatigue and almost getting blown up recently has not helped his immune system. He needs to rest." Ducky answered.

Gibbs wondered silently what his friend was leaving out. He would talk to him later, when they were alone.

**Norfolk Naval Hospital**

He stared up at the blue filter lights, they were as blue as he remembered them being at Bethesda. His lungs burned and he felt as if he was officially a pin cushion. He hated isolation, hell, even he knew that he didn't have the plague again. Ducky had assured him that the bug had died, but protocol was protocol, guess they didn't want to take any chances.

Why did he feel so damned weak? The fever was probably the cause but his right lower back was sore, it had to be pneumonia again, it felt too familiar. He coughed again, the strain felt in his weakened chest muscles caused him to wince, it_ hurt_.

He looked up at the multiple drips hanging, infusing into his bruised arm. He wanted to be anywhere else but here, he felt like the monster behind the glass. Actually, he felt like the plagued monster, especially since Kate's death. Nothing in his life was going right, nothing felt right anymore. He closed his eyes to block out the blue hell in which he was encapsulated in again, hoping that soon he would be released, one way or the other.

**Quarantine**

The lights had been dimmed, the large room was now quiet. Gibbs looked down at his team as they slept on the make do beds, they were exhausted, they had experienced so much in such a short period of time. They all needed a vacation after they returned, they would have to make sure Tony rested this time.

"You need to speak to me Jethro?" a familiar voice shook him out of his private thoughts.

"Yeah, I do." he walked over to the other side of the room where the table was and sat down, Ducky mirrored his actions.

"What did you not say regarding Tony?" he asked, it was straight to the point, he needed to know the truth about his agent.

"You could always read me Jethro." he gave his friend a grin, then became serious, "Tony has pneumonia again, there is no doubt, the x-ray is proof but there is more."

"More?" Gibbs questioned, feeling that the ball was about to drop.

"Tony is not himself, he seems to be just allowing the staff to do their jobs. There are no jokes or jibes, no flirting with the beautiful nurses, just acceptance." Ducky paused, "I do believe Tony has lost his will to fight."

When Ducky finished Jethro was already on his feet, he knew DiNozzo and that was not his agent, that was the definition of a stranger, someone who had given up."I need to see him." he moved towards the door and grabbed the handle.

"They won't allow it Jethro, he's in isolation, you're in isolation. They only allowed me access due to their lack of his medical history, I never even got to enter his cubicle. They will not allow you inside." he saw the man who had always been strong almost deflate before his eyes, he knew that Tony needed to hear Gibbs words to fight, to not give up, but they were worlds apart right now and there was no way to get them to change the rules. Tony was isolated.

"The hell they won't!" he grumbled and walked out the door, only to be met by a man carrying a weapon.

**I hope you like.  
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